To Live in Nether
by Cereology
Summary: In a world of Gods, a Goddess has hidden herself and her precious son from the clutches of Herobrine with the help of Steve. Herobrine will do all that he can to find her and the child, take over Minecraftia, destroy Steve, and take back his throne to the Nether to eliminate the most powerful God- Notch. Cover image made by me.
1. Prologue

**...**

**.:To Live in Nether:.**

**Prologue**

Yep, I'm a huge Minecraft geek, and even though he may or may not exist, Herobrine is my favorite character. Evil, malicious, and misunderstood; just how I like em'. I had no choice but to make OC's (The Goddess and her baby) since Mincraft only had a hand full of characters to choose from. (which I'm using all of them)

**WARNING**: This fanfic contains mild language, blood, violence, and some sexual content.

Reader discretion is advised.

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The storm consumed the dark night skies with crashing thunder and blinding lightning. Rain poured from the heavens heavily, flooding many streams and ponds. The droplets were so overly large that impact against the flesh felt like painful pricks of needles. The winds howled like the midnight wolves and caused the trees to sway and bend to near-snapping point. The darkness was thick and the air was as cold as ice. A storm like this hadn't come in many years- often meaning that the Gods were greatly displeased. However, times of great darkness were also the cause of such storms, and darkness was indeed falling upon the great land of Minecraftia. Two figures like shadows were dashing through the forest, darkly dressed in long coats with hoods that flew behind them and shielded their faces from the storm. The trees provided enough shelter to keep them from blowing away in the violent winds. They weaved in between the closely-growing trees and were constantly looking behind them. In their path came a flooded creek with white waters and they stopped in their tracks. One got in the water and held out their hands, helping the other cross without touching the rushing waters.

"How much further? He'll catch up if we keep hitting road blocks!" said one with a shaky feminine voice while holding the hood from blowing off. The other figure slowed their footsteps and pulled on the female's coat gently to slow her down as well. A small hidden stone building within the compact trees could hardly be seen though the darkness and thick rain. The light of the torches were the only things that stood out well enough to be seen from a distance. It looked like a small shed that was missing a door and was overgrown with vines and weeds.

"We're here. C'mon, lets get inside before he comes." said the other figure with a voice that was masculine, soothing and steady. Both the figures quickly rushed inside for shelter. They were dripping wet from the rain and panting from the long run. The male figure pushed the female deeper inside the building while looking out the door frame one last time.

"Did he follow?" the female asked while peeking outside as well. The male took off the hood of his coat and shook his head. He was a semi-dark man with a brown goat-tee and dark blue eyes. His facial features were handsome and dramatic, and his chocolate-brown hair was slightly over-grown and stuck to his forehead from the rain and sweat.

"He doesn't need to follow, he always knows where I am." he said, still catching his breath. The female then took off her hood with one hand and pulled a strand of her thick, bright-blonde hair from her face that was also doused with rain water. Her face was sharp and lovely with dazzling emerald eyes. Her cheeks were rosy and so were her lips- luscious and full. She wore a crown of flowers around her head that didn't seem to wilt or decay and consisted of bright red roses and yellow dandelions. Her hair was very long and almost touched her mid-thighs, but the lovely locks were tucked inside her coat. She looked worried and sad as she backed up into a cold structure, causing her to look behind her.

"Then let us hurry, Steve. Do you have the last piece?" she asked anxiously as she ran her hand over the cold familiar surface. A flash of lightning lit up the inside of the small building and showed a rectangular structure of Obsidian. One piece from the right side was missing. It was a Nether portal, inactivated and unused in quite some time since it had thick vines growing all over the blocks, occasionally weaving themselves around the sides. Steve reached into a bag he carried underneath his coat and pulled out one block of black Obsidian.

"I do, Ceress. Once you walk through this portal, you and the baby will be safe." Steve said as he wasted no time in placing the Obsidian in its rightful place. With a slight buzz and whirr, the portal sprang to life with the purple hue spiraling outwards towards every corner of the portal. Sparkles of white light floated out of the portal and faded, and a warm breeze escaped the opening, blowing Ceress's bangs dry instantly, as well as Steve's hair. "But...are you sure this is the right place to raise him? I've seen the Nether, its full of monsters far more dangerous than any creeper, zombie, or skeleton, and there's no water. Nothing but fire and lava. There has to be a better place, Ceress." Steve reasoned. Ceress looked down and opened her coat, revealing a small infant in her arms. It was only days old and wore a woven white gown, and was asleep to his mother's surprise. She held the child close to her breast protectively in a cradle and sighed.

"It is the only place Herobrine will not be able to reach him or me. The power he has over the Nether is far more powerful than Herobrine's, even though he is just a babe. As long as he is in the Nether, Herobrine will not be able to follow. Notch put great faith in him, and so have I. I cannot thank you enough, Steve." she said as she cradled the child. Steve put his hand on Ceress's arm and looked at her deeply, seeming happy to help, but sorrowful of the future to come.

"It's the least I could do. I wish you the best of luck. We all depend on him." he said as he gently reached out to the infant and grazed his fingers over its shoulder. Lightning struck, illuminating the inside as if a light switch were turned on and a dark figure stood outside the doorway with piercing, soulless, white eyes.

"Yes, we _all_ depend on him, don't we, Steve?" said a menacing raspy voice that sounded so lifeless, so cold, and so empty. The two gasped and quickly spun around to look at the doorway, only to see a tall man with a soaked and dirty teal shirt, blue jeans, and an enchanted diamond pick-ax in his hand. His face was just like Steve's, looking almost identical to him. His eyes stood out the most as they lit up his entire figure and half of the building. The emptiness within those eyes could cause even the most sane person to lose their minds within them. They were cold when they were focused, and they were unforgiving when they were watching the innocent suffer. They were the eyes of a cruel, sadistic, relentless, heartless entity that knew no mercy.

"_Herobrine_..." Steve breathed as he put his arm in front of Ceress defensively to protect her.

"The one and only." Herobrine snickered as he walked towards the two with his arms out, twirling the pick-ax in his hand. "Tell me, my dearest Ceress, why are you taking the boy away from me? I thought we had a deal?" a devious grin stretched across the menace's face as he peered into her fearful eyes. Her eyes could withstand the evil that radiated from Herobrine's, and they glowed a brighter green like an emerald in the sunlight as she stared the entity down with seething hatred.

"You broke your promise and the deal is off, Herobrine. This child will never be yours..." Ceress hissed as she hid the infant behind her coat. Steve pulled out an iron sword from his bag and swung it once at Herobrine's throat as a warning to back off. Herobrine leaned back to dodge the swing like he knew it was coming and stopped his approach.

"Go Ceress! I'll hold him off!" Steve shouted as he got in front of the Goddess and her child. Ceress, with a look of deep guilt and fear, nodded and quickly jumped onto the inner-frame of the portal and called out to her brave soldier.

"Come with me! We can all escape him!"

Steve looked back at her with sorrow in his eyes, and Ceress already knew the answer he would give from the dimmed light she saw in them. It slowly began to power up the transport, causing gusts of warm wind to swirl around the portal. Herobrine looked at the Goddess in shock as the portal powered up for her.

"Go without me, I'll be alright." he said as he turned back to Herobrine for a battle.

"No! Get out of that portal **NOW**!" Herobrine thundered as he swung the pick-ax at Steve's sword, but Steve defended strongly and pushed his imitation back. Ceress cried out and reached out to Steve.

"No Steve! No!" tears began to stream down her face as the portal warped her vision. The infant awoke and began to wail and cry from the havoc and sounds of clashing metal. The wind blew violently around the portal as it began to warp the Goddess, and Herobrine gripped Steve's sword with his own hand, then swung him off to the wall to the side harshly. Steve hit the wall head first and caused him to become unconscious upon impact, dropping his sword in the process.

"NO!" Herobrine roared as he threw his pick-ax at the portal. The pick-ax spun as it flew towards the Goddess, but the portal warped her before it reached. The pick-ax flew through the portal and embedded itself into the back wall, causing sparks to fly from the impact. Herobrine let out a blood curdling scream of blinding fury, cracking the stone that built the small building from the power of it. Steve held his ears and fell over on the ground, praying to the Gods that the scream end. Soon enough, it did. Herobrine glared at the portal as it slowly deactivated, he knew it was too late. The Obsidian began to crack and the sounds of crunching echoed inside the small building. The Obsidian finally buckled and crumbled before Herobrine until it was rendered a useless pile of black and purple rubble. Herobrine kicked a chunk of the rubble and stared at the mess, registering the event while bringing his anger up to a boil inside. Steve let out a painful groan and tried picking himself up while holding his head that was cut and bleeding. Herobrine turned his attention towards the mortal and looked down at the pathetic thing struggle to recover and simply growled in disgust.

He reached down and wrapped his strong, ice-cold hand around Steve's throat and lifted him up off the ground effortlessly until his feet no longer touched the ground. Steve immediately began to kick and gasp out chokes. Herobrine's eyes narrowed into white slits of anger, but took pleasure in watching the human struggle for dear life. Steve gripped Herobrine's wrists and tried prying his fingers off his throat.

"I just lost my throne to the Nether because of you. You may think you have helped save Minecraftia by banishing me from my own realm, but you have only further doomed everything and everyone. I will burn this world, and Notch _will _fall. I will slaughter everyone you hold dear, and I will start with _you_." Herobrine hissed as he brought Steve closer to his own face, making sure that Steve looked him in the eye as he administered his promise. "And don't worry, I'll make sure your death is nice and slow." he added as he reached out his other hand and opened it wide. The pick-ax that was half-way inside the wall began to shake and twist until it freed itself and flew into Herobrine's hand. Herobrine gripped it tightly and spun it around once before raising it high, ready to strike down the choking mortal. He swiftly brought down the pick-ax, but right before the tip of the pick-ax could pierce Steve's skull, a bolt of bright blue lightning struck through the roof of the building, shattering the roof in a rather large explosion. The lighting struck Herobrines hand and destroyed the pick-ax in the blink of an eye, and Herobrine instantly dropped Steve. Herobrine held his burning hand in agony and backed up into a wall, screaming in pain. Steve hit the ground like a bag of rocks, choking and gasping for air, yet he was untouched by the lightning strike. He held his throat, but spotted his iron sword. He grabbed it, stood up, and glared at Herobrine, who still held his hand in pain.

"Not while Notch still reigns!" he shouted as he ran the blade through Herobrine's gut until the tip stuck into the stone wall. Herobrine screamed once again as the blade pierced him and squirmed in his place. Steve took off running out of the building and into the darkness of the stormy forest, leaving Herobrine behind. Herobrine waited a few minutes to recover before grabbing the sharp blade, causing it to melt into steaming red molten iron. The iron drizzled like thick water down Herobrine's body, sealing the wound in his gut and freeing him from his pin. The iron solidified when it hit the wet ground, causing a _sizzle_. The hole in his blue shirt also stitched itself back up like flesh would heal a cut. He then looked up and watched the lightning from above. He frowned and found himself deeply frustrated and furious. With both fists raised in the air like an almighty God he was, he filled his lungs full of air and unleashed his relentless rage to join the chaos of the storm. His white eyes shot lightning and the inside of his throat glowed bright white.

"NOTCH! Mark my words! On this night, I vow to make Minecraftia mine! And you will perish! You **ALL** will perish!" he screamed into the heavens, and lighting flashed all around with his fury empowering him and the storm. The storm and Herobrine were one.

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So in this story, there are Gods and Goddesses. Its like Greek culture with Notch being Zeus. The other Gods and Goddesses are the admins. Herobrine is like Hades, which explains the Nether being like an Underworld/Hell. Ceress (Not Ceres) is one of these Goddesses that I created in a Minecraft roleplay. I had quite a few players actually worship her in-game. Steve didn't die since hes under the protection of Notch.

Like how this is going? Leave a review and let me know what you think.


	2. Hail to the Queen

**...**

**.:Chapter 2:.**

I had to keep writing, the ideas are just flowing. I actually wanted to write this fanfic a very long time ago when the roleplay was up and running. Anyhoo, enjoy chapter 2!

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The Nether Realm was dark with only molten lava, burning netherrack, and glowstone offering any source of faint light. The air was heavy and thick with the radiating heat while the aroma of sulfur and ash lingered like a burden. The haze was just as thick as the heat, blockading any and all far light. Shadows consumed every corner, every ledge, every hall and every room of the ancient fortressthat stood in the center of this long-forgotten realm. Ghasts gracefully flew over the tallest towers of dark-bricked fortress, occasionally letting all nine of their tendrils touch the ledges when they flew over. Their sobs could be heard all throughout the fortress, sometimes sounding like a gloomy song. Grunts of Zombie Pigmen roughly vibrated off the walls as they hid in the shadows with only the tips of their golden swords peeking out in the open.

Inside this desecrated castle was a small room with a functioning Nether portal. All was still and quiet around the portal until a strong gust of cool air swept around the base. Light sparkles swam around the inside as the center swirled, causing loud whirs. Then, with a flash of purple light that lit up the darkest halls of the fortress, a woman appeared within the portal. Her hair had been freed from her coat and her long locks flew upwards from the wind. She held her infant close to her chest tightly, trying to muffle its cries into her chest. She gasped as the transport made her nauseous and dizzy, and she stumbled out of the portal, landing on her knees hunched over. Her hair hung over her face like a veil and she desperately tried picking herself up off the hot bricks of the floor. Her coat fell from her shoulders as she stood, revealing a long, dirty white gown that dragged the ground with golden ropes wrapped tightly around her small waist. The ends of her gown were brown and muddy from the run in the forest, and long sleeves with wide mouths hung loosely from her arms. Her figure was strong and curved and she stood tall, a body worthy of a Goddess. She took a few steps out of the small room to get away from the portal, instinctively looking back at it to see if she had been followed. Tears formed in her reddened eyes as she had only wished Steve had followed. She prayed to Notch that he was safe.

The child wailed and cried loudly, and Ceress began to rock the infant, hushing him and patting his back.

"Shhh shhh, my child, do not cry." she said soothingly, and the child's cries slowly died down to shaky coos. Then there was a sudden noise that stopped the mother in her tracks. It was an ominous noise that sounded like clashing metal and raging fire with horrifying deep growls. She followed the noise with her eyes and turned to the left. A small flight of stairs leading up to another small chamber had been lit up with a pulsing yellow and orange light. The sounds were angry and loud, and Ceress backed up a step. A creature of a small, glowing yellow body with multiple unattached, revolving tendrils glided out from the room to spot the trespasser. Its eyes were small and narrowed as it vibrated, its arms spinning around its body faster. It began to glow brighter as a ball of flames formed in front of it with thick black smoke rising up from the base of its body. It was a Blaze. Ceress gasped as it shot the fireball at her with blinding speed. Ceress quickly dodged the blast by hiding behind the doorway of her entrance. The fireball exploded and caused a loud **BOOM**, causing the infant to cry once more. Ceress peeked around the corner to see the Blaze recharging to fire another fireball. She took this opportunity to run out of the room and down the dark hall. Her dirty bare feet slammed against the piping hot bricks as she ran as fast as her long legs could carry her. The screams of the infant echoed all throughout the fortress halls and quickly gained the attention of the hidden Zombie Pigmen in the shadows.

Ceress looked behind her to see the Blaze flying after her, shooting smaller fireballs at her as she ran. She ducked and ran down different halls to avoid the fireballs. She could hardly see where she was running, the halls were pitch black. There were windows on each side of this particular hall that she ran down, and the faint glow of the lava lake below offered very little light. She could see a brighter light at the end of the hall but could hardly tell what it was. She looked back again to see the Blaze not too far behind. She panted and started to sweat as she ran and held onto her child tightly, praying that whatever was at the end of the hall would be a savior. Sooner than she expected, she reached the end of the hall, but skidded to a halt when she saw that the hall had been broken off and the light came from the glow of lava from below. It was a dead end.

"What? No!" Ceress breathlessly cried as she turned around to see the Blaze slowly come closer. Ceress backed up to the very edge, clutching her crying child tightly to her chest. She looked down to see the lava once more; it would be a very long fall to their death. Ceress had no power in this realm, even as a Goddess, the power within this world belonged to Herobrine. Her strengths and abilities were stripped and rendered useless while inside the Nether, as were all Gods and Goddesses who visited there. The Nether was a strange place that could only be ruled by one individual and granted only one God powers; and that God was Herobrine. Though anyone who was powerful enough to take the throne of the Nether could lead the creatures who resided there, their powers would have no effect within the realm.

Ceress shut her eyes tightly and embraced her child as the Blaze charged up its final fireball. With a roar, it fired, but right before it hit the mother and her child, a golden sword swung in front of them, rebounding the fireball with ease and caused a **CLANG **to ring in Ceress's ears. She opened her eyes to see that two Zombie Pigmen stood between her and the Blaze with their golden swords up in defense, protecting the Goddess. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. The Pigmen were half-rotten with many of their bones and muscle tissue exposed with green mold covering their faded pink flesh. They were very muscular and built like brutes and stood taller than Ceress, seemingly to easily tower over her. They had large potbellies and wore loincloths, and their legs were bent backwards like a pig's with big thick hooves for feet. Their faces were mutated with either one or both eye sockets empty of an eye, and their skulls were free of any flesh. She believed they may have been walking on top of the roof and heard the sounds of her child, then followed them to the end of the hall where the ceiling was halfway gone.

Their snouts scrunched up as they snorted and grunted in a challenge, gripping their swords tightly in their hands before charging at the Blaze. The Blaze fired a fireball but missed, and the Pigmen began to swing at the Blaze's core, slicing and cutting it deep, each warrior taking turns striking it down. Sparks and lava spewed from the Blaze's wounds until it could no longer support itself. The Blaze fell to the ground, limbs and all before exploding into a mist of bright sparks. The Pigmen watched the thing die and grunted as its corpse disappeared, then slid their swords back into their sheaths. Ceress stepped away from the edge with wide fearful eyes. The infant continued to cry and she tried hushing it. The Pigmen turned towards Ceress and the child, tilting their heads at the child's cries. They stood there until Ceress was able to hush the crying child, and approached her. Ceress was uneasy and watched the Pigmen, but as they came closer, she could feel their auras. They were obedient, friendly souls, despite their rotten appearance. They were tortured, but loyal, and protective over their brethren. Even though they were missing eyes, she could look into their sockets and see their very souls. There was more to these beings that met the eye, and the uneasy feelings within her faded. She loosened her grip on the child and revealed his face to the Pigmen. He was a pale child with blonde curls and bright blue eyes. The white in his eyes glowed and his cries quieted to coos. The Pigmen examined the child from afar before lowering themselves to the ground, bowing before the Goddess and her child.

Ceress watched the Pigmen bow, and she could hear more grunts from all around her. She looked around her and saw Pigmen who stood on mountains of netherrack, standing in lava pools, and crowding the halls. All of them bowed before her. Even the Ghasts that now floated above the lava lake tilted in her direction to bow. The child in her arms widened his large innocent glowing eyes as the unfamiliar sounds surrounded him. Ceress too was astonished and taken by this marvelous spectacle and understood the depth of loyalty the creatures of Nether contained. She took in a deep breath, feeling the warm wind blow past her. Her gown and hair blew with the wind as she spoke for all to hear.

"Tortured Pigmen, Ghasts, Blazes and Magma Cubes of Herobrine, hear me! Your entire existence has been under the cruelty and slavery of your former master! But no more! As your new queen, I, Ceress, free you of such cruelty! I ask of you, welcome my child as one of your own, protect him from harm, and I will promise you a life free of suffering!" she thundered with power in her strong voice. The Pigmen rose from their knees and took out their swords, raising them high in the air and let out cries of freedom, hailing their queen. Ghasts sobbed in joy and swooped over the Goddess, shooting fireballs in the air to explode like fireworks. Ceress held up her child delicately as she faced the lava lake and presented him to the Nether Realm. The Pigmen continued to roar and shout in an uproar. The shadows lifted and the once dark under realm began to brighten. The gloom was relieved and the haze faded. The Nether was free of the darkness, and the reign of Herobrine was over.

For now...

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_...Seven Years Later..._

Ceress and her child, Steven, whom she had named after the man who saved their lives, had changed the realm of Nether Realm for the good. The Fortress had once been overgrown and buried in mountains of burning netherrack, and its long tunnels and bridges had been broken and dilapidated. Under Ceress's kind and loving leadership, she and her loyal army of Pigmen and Ghasts had successfully managed to dig out the Fortress, rebuild its rooms, halls and bridges while surrounding every ledge with a tall fence to prevent any accidents. The halls were very well-lit, and it seemed that the warm light touched every part of the Fortress. Side-by-side, every worker, including their very queen, worked hard to restore life to the Nether, and Ceress's followers praised her, for Herobrine would've never so much as lifted a finger to assist his _slaves_ in any way. The inhabitants of the Nether served Ceress not out of fear, but by their own choice, and as promised, they protected her son and did all they could to child-proof the Fortress. Every window was barred, every ledge was fenced off, and almost every hall was blocked. Steven was never left unattended and had at least one Pigmen guard with him if Ceress was busy elsewhere.

Rooms had been rebuilt and added onto the Fortress to support the lives of Ceress and Steven and properly turned into a suitable dwelling for them to survive the harsh environment of the Nether. The kitchen was stocked full of food and buckets of milk and water. Rooms with growing trees with apples were built with glowstone being an artificial source of light. Bedrooms were built deep inside the mountains of netherrack where the heat wasn't so harsh, and gardens of netherwart and soulsand surrounded the lower parts of the Fortress away from the lava lake. The soulsand and netherwart were surprisingly like coolants and kept parts of the Fortress cool. The Nether Portal was contained by thick walls of netherbrick and heavily guarded by the toughest of Pigmen. The portal was only activated when fresh supplies were brought through.

Ceress had been able to keep contact with Steve in the Overworld through a special Ender Eye that she kept in an Ender chest in her quarters. With this Ender Eye, which its matching counterpart was in the hands of Steve, Ceress was able to see and speak to Steve when it was activated. Steve often hired special villagers to harvest certain crops and gather water to transport through a Nether Portal he had built and hid to supply Ceress and Steven. These villagers were very devoted worshipers of Ceress and believed that one day, her and her son would return to the Overworld and save them from the clutches of Herobrine. During a visit, Ceress would often enjoy Steve's company and the two would discuss many important things.

Mostly about her return.

Steve sat across from Ceress on the luxurious couch within her private library that was lit only by the fire of the fireplace. Ceress, who had changed her wardrobe from a white gown to a deep gray gown, looked into his eyes. She wore thin ruby-red ropes around her waist and bracelets and rings sculpted out of netherrack, along with an Obsidian crown with a netherrack gem circlet that rested perfectly in the middle of her forehead. She wore no shoes, and her hair was in a long thick braid, decorated with with quartz pins. She was stunning to look at and often caused Steve to go into a trance. She truly was one of the most beautiful goddesses he had ever seen. Her legs crossed and she leaned forward.

"Steve, I owe you my very life for all that you have done. You have been so loyal and so helpful all these years. Why not stay here? The Nether is a peaceful place while under my rule." she spoke softly, yet Steve let out a sigh.

"I wish I could, but Herobrine continues to haunt the Overworld. Though most of his powers are gone and he is only able to teleport and spawn monsters, he is still a threat. I'm the only one who is able to follow him and stop him from destroying whole villages." Steve explained as he ran his fingers through his hair. He was beginning to sweat from the heat, which Ceress and Steven had learned to adapt to.

"He will never stop, it seems..." Ceress looked to the ground sadly. Steve nodded as he could see the sorrow and guilt in her large emerald eyes. "I blame myself for leaving the mortals behind. So many of them looked up to me for help and blessings for their crops and fortunes."

"You're helping all of them by keeping Steven safe. If Herobrine were still ruler of the Nether, the Overworld would be in flames and so would everyone living there. You did the right thing." Steve spoke to support her, but Ceress simply stood up and began to pace in front of the fireplace, holding her rosy cheek with one of her hands worryingly. Steve pursed his lips and looked away in thought, trying to think of more assuring words to calm the stress Ceress felt deep inside her. "Keeping Steven safe saved the Overworld, Ceress. We all praise you for it."

"Herobrine continues to wreak havoc among the children of the Gods, Steve. Whenever Herobrine takes the life of an innocent mortal, we Gods feel it, and we feel the sorrow of it all. Herobrine has killed so many innocent people since we trapped him in the Overworld, yet there is nothing we Gods can do. Notch is bound by the laws that he may not harm another God, and the same laws apply to us. So we sit in our thrones while the innocent are slaughtered and villages are burned to the ground, yet there is nothing we can do about it."

"Which is why Notch found a loophole. Herobrine may not be able to die, but he can be trapped. That's why Steven is so important, he can trap Herobrine forever." Steve stood up with her and gently took her hand in his. Ceress turned towards him and looked into his eyes with sorrow. Steve's hazel eyes were comforting and soft, telling her that everything would be alright. "Everything will be alright, all you have to do is keep believing and have faith."

"Steve...I-" Ceress went to speak until Steve put a finger to her lips and softly hushed her. He put his other hand to her cheek and cupped it.

"Shh, Ceress, the future will turn out okay. Notch has a plan, and I'll have Herobrine under control until Steven comes of age. When this is all over, we'll all be awaiting your return and the sun will shine upon your lovely face again."

Ceress placed her hand over his and embraced his touch as she shut her eyes, trying to hold back her tears. She missed the sun, she missed the cool winds and soft tender grass beneath her feet. She missed the rain, the flowing rivers and rolling seas, the animals, and the humans she adored so much. Years within the Nether had made her deathly pale from the lack of light, and the bottoms of her feet thickened from the hot bricks of the Fortress floors. She had almost forgotten what the Overworld was like, but she could always remember how the sunlight felt against her skin, and how cold water felt as it flowed through her hair. She could never forget the water, she was of course born of the river. What pained her even more was that her most beloved child would never experience any of it as he grew.

"Just stay by my side..." she wept and buried her face into Steve's chest. Steve could understand the pain she felt and embraced her, wrapping his strong arms around her and ran his hand down her back. His embrace quickly settled the goddess down and stopped her soft cries as he hushed her.

"I'll always be by your side, even through the darkest of nights." Steve spoke and held onto her tightly. Ceress felt comfort in his arms and looked up to the man who was her savior and faintly smiled. He smiled back and she leaned in, shortening the distance between their lips. He looked longingly into her eyes and Ceress began to glow slightly as she felt her heart fly, but before their lips touched, a soft voice could be heard from the doorway of the library.

"_Momma_?" it said, and Steve and Ceress turned to see a little blonde boy standing in the doorway with a stuffed dog in one of his tiny hands. He rubbed his eyes with his other hand and walked to his mother. He wore light blue enchanted footsie pajamas with white stars that kept him cool in the heat, and his long blonde locks were in a mess. The white of his eyes glowed brightly in the dark with his blue centers shining like diamonds, and he resembled his mother in many ways. Steve let go of Ceress and she turned towards her child with her arms open wide.

"Come here, darling. Tell me whats wrong." she said softly and picked up Steven, holding him closely on her hip. The child nuzzled into his mother's chest and cradled his stuffed dog.

"I had a nightmare. I saw the man with scary eyes again." Steven said in a muffle. Ceress looked at Steve in deep concern, and he did the same. Steven would often have nightmares of "The man with scary eyes" and Ceress would tell Steve each and every time he had a nightmare through the Ender Eye. Ceress believed that this was Herobrine's way of trying to get a hold of Steven, which scared her greatly. She had no control over dreams, not even her own.

"Oh sweety, it was only a nightmare. No need to be afraid, you can sleep with me tonight." she said as she ran her hand over his messy hair. Steve looked at the child sadly and came closer to the two and rested a hand on Ceress's back while resting his other on Steven's shoulder.

"Can daddy come too?" Steven asked, and Ceress smiled, as did Steve. He always loved it when Steven called him "dad", and it warmed Ceress's heart to see that Steven had such a wonderful fatherly figure. If only Steve were the father...

"Not tonight son, I gotta go back to work. I brought you something though." Steve reached into his pocket and pulled out a black Obsidian compass with a green arrow. It had no symbols to mark the directions, but instead the arrow pointed towards Ceress. Steven looked up and took it from Steve, and the arrow began to spin. The child observed the new toy and smiled.

"A compass?"

"Yeah, it points to important things that you want most. I found it when I was exploring a dungeon. Thought you might've wanted it." Steve smiled and ruffled Steven's hair. The child laughed tiredly and held the compass to his chest before leaning back on his mother, dozing off almost instantly. The poor thing was exhausted. Steve sighed and stroked his hair. "Its best that I get going. The others are waiting on me."

Ceress nodded sadly. "Very well. I must retire and put Steven to bed."

Steve nodded as well and turned away to walk out of the library, but stopped himself. He waited a few seconds before turning back around.

"Oh Ceress, I um..." he stopped as he reached into his pocket, grabbing a small box, but let it go.

"Yes, Steve?" Ceress answered with a smile. Steve hesitated and took his empty hand out of his pocket.

"I...it was nice talking to you again." he said before turning away and left the library. Ceress looked confused, but continued to smile anyways as she too left the library and made her way to her quarters.

Steve approached the portal where the villagers waited and took the box out of his pocket. He opened it and looked at the golden ring with the diamond jewel inside it as it glowed with enchantment. He had crafted this engagement ring from his very first diamond he ever found and hand-mined gold, and wanted to have proposed to the goddess on this night, but he simply closed the box and returned it to his pocket sadly. Tonight simply wasn't the right night, but one day, he would make Ceress his wife and truely be Steven's father.

The father he deserved.

Steve had always loved Ceress from the moment they met, and devoted much of his time to her. He could still remember the day they met, she saved his life and brought peace to his village. From that day forward, she always heeded his prayers until she prayed to _him_ for help. He had been waiting many years for the right moment to propose to her and always had the ring in his pocket, but he could never seem to find the right moment or find the courage to speak up. He wanted to marry her before Steven grew too much older since he wanted to truly be a father...but the vision of that happening seemed so far away.

Steve motioned his hand to the villagers in a silent order. He then placed both hands behind his back and walked through the portal with the villagers following closely behind him. Soon they all disappeared from the room and the Pigmen guards closed the doors, locked them down with large heavy chains, and continued to stand guard.

* * *

I based the structure of the fortress off of the fortress within my own game. As soon as I spawned in the Nether, I got a face full of Blazes, along with their spawner. I currently live in the Nether when I play the game and inhabited all the halls and such. Its actually quite nice, I prefer it over the Overworld. Anyhoo, I always considered the Nether to be greatly misunderstood as a chaotic horrible place full of blood thirsty monsters. Its actually a very beautiful place and peaceful when Herobrine isn't ruling over it.

The compass idea is from Pirates of the Caribbean, almost lol


	3. Rebellion

**...**

**.:Chapter 3:.**

I figured I'd go ahead and post the new chapter, with or without reviews. Meh.

* * *

_...Ten years later..._

A villager, dressed in dark brown robes, carried an empty pale down a long path with thick tree branches and leaves overlooking the trail beautifully. Rays of sunlight lit up the path and the astounding view of the lake's sparkling waters glistened in the distance. The tall grasses that lined the cobblestone path swayed back and forth in the warm summer breeze, bringing bright bits of yellow pollen with it. Butterflies and dragonflies landed on the wild roses and dandelions, and the villager exhaled in peace as he took in the heavenly view. He was just a gatherer, but he greatly enjoyed his place in the village. Venturing out to the old well in the forest to fetch water was always the best part of his day. Hardly any monsters spawned in the area of those woods, and a tall wall had even been built around the village's territory to keep out any threats.

The villager began to whistle happily as he spun the bucket around his wrist by the handle and even began to strut to his own tune. Sheep grazed near the edges of the pathway and watched the happy villager walk by, then '_baahed_' in acknowledgement.

"Hello sheep!" the villager paused his whistles to greet the animals. Before the villager knew it, the well was in his sights. He tossed the bucket up in the air and let it spin before skillfully catching it behind his back and twirled it. He approached the well and took the hook attached to the rope and lowered the bucket deep into the well while continuing to whistle his happy-go-lucky tune.

Until something yanked on the rope from below.

The villager gasped as he was almost dragged in and quickly caught himself on the ledge. He pushed himself off the ledge and fell back on the ground, holding his chest to feel his heart beat fast.

"What the? What was that?" he asked himself as he tilted his head curiously at the well. What he saw next seemed to stun him and made him freeze in his place with fear. A man floated out of the well slowly, eyeing the villager with his bright, glowing-white eyes. He held the bucket in his hand and let a menacing grin grow upon his face. The villager's color drained from his face and his jaw fell agape.

"You mean '_who_'." he spoke in a deep tone before throwing the bucket at the villager, spilling water all over the warm cobblestone path. The villager blocked himself with his arm before becoming drenched in water, then let out a shriek of horror.

"Herobrine!" he screamed and got up to begin running. Herobrine narrowed his eyes and in the blink of an eye, he disappeared from over the well and reappeared in front of the villager. The villager skidded to a halt and gasped. Herobrine gripped the villager's collar before he could flee and lifted him off the ground. The villager screamed and squirmed to free himself, but stopped when he noticed the leaves on the trees begin to turn brown and rot before falling off their branches. The villager began to hyperventilate and looked into Herobrine's piercing white eyes, slowly becoming sucked into a horror-filled panic. Herobrine enjoyed the torment he was causing to this mortal simply with one look and found himself laughing in pleasure.

"Look what we have here." Herobrine said with a smirk. "An cowardly little earth _worm_."

"Please, let me go! I-I have nothing on me, but I have some emeralds back at my house. I'll give you anything you want, just let me go!" the villager cried helplessly as he put his hands together in a begging motion. Oh how Herobrine loved the sound of begging, but that wasn't why he was here.

"You pathetic excuse of life." Herobrine hissed as he brought the villager closer. "I don't want your emeralds..."

"W-what do you want then? Gold? Diamonds?"

Herobrine threw the villager down to the ground harshly, savoring the shriek that came from the villager when he landed. The villager groaned and snapped back into reality to look up at Herobrine who was now hovering above him with small bolts of white lightning coming from his eyes. The aura around him was red and menacing, and the grass around him died and turned into a dry, lifeless brown. The villager felt as if he were going to die of a panic attack if Herobrine didn't kill him first himself.

"Please, tell me what you want! I'll do anything you ask, just please don't hurt me or drag my soul to the Nether!" the villager whimpered before the God as he crawled backwards until the wall of the well pushed against his back.

"I want you to deliver a message for me." Herobrine spoke with a grin and pointed to the north over the tree tops. "Tell King Mojang that I will come, and that I _will_ take his kingdom and everyone with it. Prepare his army and secure his fortress, I _do _enjoy a challenge..."

The villager widened his eyes in horror. King Mojang was the most powerful king in all of Minecraftia. Some even said that he communicated with Notch himself! His fortress was big enough to inhabit an entire mountain, and his army was the strongest of all the kingdoms in the land. Why Herobrine wanted King Mojang to actually _prepare_ himself was beyond this villager's comprehension.

"What are you waiting for? **GO!**" Herobrine shouted until the ground vibrated and bolts of lightning struck from his eyes down to the ground, inches away from the villager's feet, and the villager flinched in his spot.

"Y-yes, Herobrine!" he shivered and scrambled to his feet before taking off as fast as he could run through the woods. Herobrine raised his hand and spawned a spider beside him. It screeched as it spotted its master and twitched all eight of its legs.

"Follow him, make sure no other monsters obstruct his journey to the Mojang Kingdom. Go now, my _slave_." Herobrine commanded, and the spider wasted not a second to heed its master and followed behind the villager. As the spider left his sight, he looked at the well. A devious grin formed on his lips and he pulled a bottle of glowing green liquid and removed the cork before tossing it into the well. The well sounded as if it were gurgling, for it was now poisoned. Once that was done, Herobrine turned his attention to village off in the distance and his eyes flashed. He hadn't had fun in quite some time, and he looked up at the sky to see that the sun was setting. He had a plan brewing in his mind, and he required new recruits. Spawns simply weren't enough.

That night, when the skies were cold and dark and hardly a star shone through the shadows of sky, Herobrine waited behind the tree line and watched the last light turn off in the village. Everyone was asleep and vulnerable and at peace. Herobrine lifted his hands and a line of ten zombies split the dirt and grass and crawled out from the filthy ground, growling and moaning as they heeded their master. Their flesh filled the air with a rotten stench, and their sockets glowed red with the power of their master. Their arms lifted up in front of them and they awaited their master's command. With a movement of his hand, pointing towards the village, he nodded.

"Go..." he said, and the zombies began to drag their feet along the ground, steadily walking towards the sleeping village. Herobrine then disappeared and reappeared on top of the church tower. The massive bell of the tower was behind him and he overlooked the town. He then looked down inside the church through the bell tower and spotted a priest walking inside with a torch in his hand and a ring of keys in the other. Herobrine grinned as he disappeared.

The priest yawned as he put away his keys and finished locking up the rest of the church. The night was so quiet, and he was exhausted from a hard day's work. The church was rather large and finely decorated with melted candles, statues of the Gods and Goddesses, and beautifully carved pews. Shadows engulfed the area, as well as the silence. The priest was making his way to his quarters until he heard a voice echo in the room.

"_Forgive me, father, for I have sinned..._" spoke the voice of Herobrine, and the priest froze in his place before turning around. In the pitch blackness, all he could see were those bright white eyes, piercing the shadows with their evil glow. The priest dropped his torch in fear, and the light died out.

"H-Herobrine..." the old priest stuttered in shock as he backed away from the eyes. With one upwards motion of Herobrine's hand, every candle in the church became ablaze and lit the entire room up, revealing Herobrine standing at the alter. His eyes narrowed at the priest and with a snap of his fingers, the statue of the all-powerful god, Notch, which was placed directly behind the alter, shattered and buckled beneath its own weight. The statue crumbled into a pile of broken stone, which Herobrine then proceeded to sit upon the pile.

"Why is it always a surprise to see me? I feel so special." Herobrine chuckled as he crossed his arms. The priest gasped and backed away before turning around in a full sprint. Off to the left of the door was where the rope hung for the church bell. But...it wasn't there. The preacher stopped as he looked for it, he needed to warn the village. "Looking for this?" Herobrine asked as he held up the severed rope above his palm and laughed. The priest turned around and furrowed his single brow at the God.

"How dare you desecrate a holy place! This will not go unseen by Notch and you _will_ be punished." the priest said bravely to Herobrine, but all he got in return was another taunting laugh.

"On the contrary, _priest_, I want every God and Goddess to see this. There is nothing they can do to stop me." Herobrine then found himself smirking. "Besides, there is nothing _holy_ about this place. Worshiping the bastards of Minecraftia, the very bastards who stuck me in the Nether and expected me to settle while they took all the glory of worship. You mortals are so ignorant that it _sickens_ me..." he was careful to add a sound of great spite and anger to the last part. "But...all that will change here soon enough."

"Whatever you're planning to do, leave these innocent villagers out of it. What is it that you seek?" the priest narrowed his eyes as Herobrine rose from his throne of rubble and made his way to the statue of the Goddess, Ceress. He let his hand slide under the statue's chin as he peered into the sculpted eyes of it, seeming to show longing within his own eyes. For a second, his face settled into a calm look of desire, his lips parting slightly as the statue looked so life-like to the point where it looked exactly like the Goddess herself.

"I seek the one thing that can only be obtained by _force_..." he said as he grabbed the statue by the neck and powerfully squeezed it until the entire statue shattered and fell. His face twisted back into his look of anger and discontent before he turned around to face the priest. The priest backed away until his back met the cold doors of the church. Herobrine began to glow a deep red as he lifted an arm, forming a bright ball of fire above his palm.

"May Notch have mercy on your soul..." spoke the priest in his final moments of life.

"What _soul_?" Herobrine grinned. With one throw of the fireball, the priest's head was taken clean off his body and a hole was burned cleanly through the door. The edges of the hole glowed red and sizzled, allowing Herobrine to see through it and watch his fireball hit the ground. As it hit the ground, it exploded and began to rain fiery debris upon the wooden rooves of every house and crop in the village. Houses and crops quickly went up in flames, illuminating the town and waking up its citizens. Herobrine smiled to himself as the quiet town became filled with the sounds of screams and panic. It was amusing to see just how fast an entire village could be consumed in chaos. He approached the body of the priest, which didn't bleed due to the cooked veins and arteries from the fireball and looked down at his pure black suit, then lifted an eyebrow.

"Nice suit..." he murmured with a grin.

The citizens began to evacuate their homes, holding special belongings and their children in their arms while screaming. They began to run towards the path that led to the well, but they all stopped in their tracks to see a hoard of zombies coming their way. They screamed again and ran in the other direction to flee in fear. Herobrine opened the large doors of the church, fixing the jacket of his new full-black suit without the white collar while the church burned behind him. He stepped out in the open and lifted both arms, and the perimeter of the village was set ablaze with raging fires, trapping the citizens. The zombies closed in on the villagers and one by one, bit into their flesh and infected them all with their curse. Herobrine watched his slaves do their dirty work as the bright flames and chaos reflected in his eyes.

* * *

Steven awoke from his slumber and gasped, quickly leaning up from his bed. He held his forehead and panted with cold sweat running down the sides of his temple. His hair was a bright gold and long enough to slightly go past his ears. His eyes glowed as they always did, and his body was long and toned. His chest was bare and damp with sweat and he put his hand over his heart, feeling it race from the horrific nightmare. He then ran all ten fingers through his wet hair and exhaled calmly, catching his breath and ridding his mind of the horrible sights he witnessed.

The man with scary eyes...

Steven laid back down and stared at the dark netherbrick of his ceiling, taking a moment to clear his mind of the nightmare. All throughout his childhood, and even to this very day, he had these horrible nightmares. They haunted him almost every night, and he never forgot a single one. Each nightmare burning itself into his memory, and sometimes he felt as if he were there. After a few minutes of listening to the peaceful crackle of his fireplace, he sat back up and moved to the edge of the bed, running his palm down his face to wipe away the sweat. He then tore off the sheets and stood, then grabbed a torch and lit it.

He walked down the hallway alone with his head hung low. He was a young man at the dawning age of adulthood, and he never really knew what his future was. For years his mother told him that he would do great things, and despite his constant combat training, Steven felt as if that weren't the case. He felt that he was trapped in this Fortress, for he had never once set foot outside of its walls or gardens. All he ever knew was lava and fire, was there not something else out there? Was there not a place that wasn't constantly burning?

Though his childhood was within these walls, it was fairly happy and peaceful. Many times, his mother would take him to the balcony to watch the Ghasts fly overhead the Fortress and dance. It was a spectacle that always made him smile. That was where he was heading; a trip to the balcony when everyone was in a slumber always cleared his mind and brought him inner peace. He snuck past his mother's room, careful not to wake her, and made his way to the balcony. He leaned against the fencing and set down his torch to watch the Ghasts fly above and dance with each other as they always did. They never did seem to sleep or become tired. The view was breathtaking, as the whole lava lake could be seen from the height, as well as the lava falls that fell from the ceiling high above the Fortress. He gazed at the view and watched the Ghasts continue to dance, but felt a presence behind him. He turned around to see his mother, dressed in her long and flowing black night gown walk up beside him with her hair up in a high bun.

"What seems to be troubling you, darling?" she asked softly as she set her hand upon his shoulder. She always did know when Steven felt deeply uneasy. Steven sighed and looked down at the lava lake below.

"A nightmare. They're getting worse." he said, his voice quiet, but strong and concerned. Ceress pursed her lips and looked away.

"I know they are." she said.

"What do they mean? Who _is_ that man I keep seeing? He looks just like dad, but...I know hes not dad." Steven looked at his mother for comfort, but the look in her eyes seemed to worry him even more. Her eyes were full and sad and stressed, but he didn't question why.

He never questioned his mother for any reason.

"I wish I could tell you..." she said. She did indeed wish to tell him, but she feared he was still too young. Steve thought that her answer was her simply not knowing the answer to his question. He looked back up at the Ghasts and continued to watch them with wonder. Ceress did so as well, and after a few moments of silence, she smiled.

"Remember when we used to watch them for hours when you were just a toddler?" she asked as she wrapped her arm around him. Steven chuckled and leaned his head on her shoulder, finding great comfort when he was in his mother's arms. He considered himself a 'momma's boy', but he couldn't pretend that he didn't enjoy the comfort she offered when he was troubled.

"Yeah, and remember how I'd try to catch their tears with my own hands?" he asked with a smile. Ceress giggled and rubbed his shoulder.

"I remember. You were always so excited to see one fall." she said. The mother and son watched the Ghasts together for a little while before Steven found himself yawning. Ceress looked at him and patted his back.

"Its time you went back to bed, darling." she said and Steven nodded.

"Mom?"

"Yes, dear?"

Steven swallowed and felt a little nervous asking his mother a nagging question he's had in the back of his head, but calmly let it out a sigh.

"What's my purpose here?"

Ceress blinked at the question and thought for a moment, trying to find a way to explain. Steven continued onto the question.

"I mean...I know you keep telling me that I'm meant to do something great but...what is it that I'll do? I feel like I have no purpose..." he said solemnly as he looked down at his empty hands. Ceress took them and made him face her gently. Her eyes looked into his and assured him to not feel too grim.

"My son, you have a purpose greater than you will ever know. The time will come when you will know what it is, I promise you. But for now, you are not ready." she said, and he held onto her hands tightly as he anxiously shook them slightly.

"But I _am_ ready, mom. I'm ready, I wanna know." he pleaded to her with sadness in his glowing eyes, but his mother simply kept his hands still.

"And you will know. Please be patient, my child." she said and kissed his forehead. Steven gave up and nodded as his mother kissed his forehead. "Very good. Now off to bed, you have training in a few more hours. Rest while you can." Ceress said with a smile and made her way back to her quarters. Steven stayed behind for a few more seconds to watch the Ghasts before following his mother. That feeling of not knowing still nagged at him and ate away at his inner-peace. He knew he was ready to learn his fate, he _had_ to know. He could always remember his mother talking to the guards about locking something up in the lower wing, to always "make sure its secure". He often wondered if that had anything to do with his future. His mother was always so secretive about many things and that one particular secret always intrigued him. He was never allowed down in the lower wing, even at his current age.

He had to know what his purpose was, he was almost upon the age of adulthood and if he didn't find out the secrets his mother held, he would never be truly content. He was impatient and anxious to do more with his life. But more importantly, he was ready to discover what else existence had to offer. There had to more to life than what was here now. He loved and greatly respected his mother, but his desire to know was overpowering him. He watched his mother return to her bedroom, and he was now alone in the halls to think to himself. As he entered his room, he paused and thought.

After a few minutes of the anxiety eating away at his stomach, he narrowed his eyes and spotted a satchel that hung on his wall. As a demi-god, his instincts told him to '_pack for the unknown_'. He often listened to these enhanced instincts he had since they never lead him astray. He proceeded to tear it off its hook and then turned his attention to his chest that sat in the corner of his room. He pried it open and began digging his hands inside, pulling out an iron sword that he used for combat practice, a spare set of clothes, three unlit torches and his compass that his 'father' had given him as a child. Then he put on a white shirt with a brown tunic and leather pants. He then slipped out of his room and made his way to his mother's chemistry lab that was next to the library. Once inside, he dug through the many shelves of brightly colored bottles of potions and took an invisibility potion and a healing potion. He then snuck into the kitchen and packed a few apples and took the flint and steel that was used to light the fire pit.

With his satchel full of supplies, he quietly made his way into the lower wing. He was unfamiliar with the place, but followed the signs that held directions. After a few minutes of searching, he spotted two sleeping Pigmen guarding a large black door with an Obsidian chain and padlock around the handles. Pigmen were often extremely hard to wake up since they were practically corpses, but Steven was still careful with his footing when he approached them. They both snored loudly, snorting every once in a while with their arms crossed over their broad chests. Steven eyed the key ring on the Pigmen who stood on the left, and slowly reached out to grab the key ring, but stopped when the Pigmen let out a loud **SNORT** and shifted in his place, but remained asleep. Steven wiped his forehead and grabbed the key ring carefully, then picked out a key. He tried the one that was made of Obsidian and quietly slipped it in the padlock, twisting it to unlock it. The padlock switched open and Steven easily pulled the chains away as quietly as he could. The Pigmen snorted in their sleep, and Steven successfully opened the doors. He opened them just enough to squeeze his body through, then closed the doors behind him.

When he turned around, his eyes widened at the sight of a brightly glowing purple portal that contained beautiful magical swirls within its Obsidian frame. Odd sounds escaped from it and cool wind blew past Steven, engulfing him in a welcome. He smiled as he gazed at it in awe and walked towards it.

"Woah..." he sighed as he reached his hand out and tried grabbing one of the swirls. Then all of a sudden, he felt his hand become cold and tingly. The feeling spread from his hand and traveled up his arm until he could feel it in his core. He then began to move towards the portal as if it were sucking him in, and Steven instinctively pulled away, but the power quickly became greater than his own.

"Wait wait wait-!" he shouted as the portal pulled him in, and wind swirled upwards as he disappeared in a flash of bright purple. The wind howled for only a moment before calming down, filling the room with silence one again.


End file.
